


Distance

by claudiapriscus



Category: Fringe
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-24
Updated: 2012-01-24
Packaged: 2017-10-30 01:32:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/326278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claudiapriscus/pseuds/claudiapriscus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She knew about difference, but distance- what a beautiful lie that was. Set during 4x09.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Distance

All the worlds and all their differences: she accepted all that a long time ago. The universe had opened like a flower, and all the petals once so closely nestled became fragile and distinct. "That man," he husband said, his voice like thunder and his tone just as implacable, "that man came and stole our son and destroyed our world."

He was right. Of course he was right. Her son was gone and her grief was tattooed in amber ink across the body of the world. She's not the first mother to wish to see the world to burn at the loss of a child. It's simple bitter irony that she's the first to see it fulfilled. And so she embraced the notion of difference, of distance, of everything that was hers and everything that was _theirs_ and it allowed her to forget awhile that the man who did not save her son wore the same face in both universes. But in her heart, she'd known the truth: there was a kindness in having someone else to blame. At least for her husband, who'd just needed more _time_ , before all the time was stolen- that's what he told himself, what he told her, but what a beautiful lie.

It saved him. There were few such comforts for her. Walter hadn't been there, watching their son die. He hadn't faced the desperate man coming in from the snow. That man had worn a different coat, but he'd loved their son just the same. There'd never been a choice for her. There was nowhere she could lay blame.  
  
There are no beautiful lies for her. She accepted _difference_ but she knows that distance is a lie. Each petal is born of a flower, the same flower, and in that way, this broken man before her is her husband just as much as the man she left behind. And the boy, the wonderful boy, is her son. Born to another Elizabeth, perhaps, but it doesn't matter now. She sees the truth. In all universes, she is his mother. In all universes, he is her son. This will never not be true.

So how can she blame this man for the loss of her son, how can she blame this man who tried so hard to succeed where his other self had failed? The is no meaningful difference between them, no meaningful distance. That was enough to forgive him.

But then he returned Peter, _her_ Peter (for there was never one that wasn't hers) and she got to see him strong, so strong, handsome and brave and _grown_ -

That could only be redemption.


End file.
